The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-30
oUAcKERY,N POLITICS.
How yellowstone KIT Used His Influence
in the Prohibition Campaign.
Atlanta Constitution of Saturday.

Atlanta Constitution of Saturday.
Later in the day Kit. with his band, made a
parade. and in the afternoon repaired to his
stand, corner Decatur and Collins streets. The
lot, which has capacity of 5000 to 600O PEG,
pie, was densely packed, and when Kit went
upon the stage the applause was intense. The
negro men yelled themselves hoarse, while the
women threw their kerchiefs and arms in the
air Kit waved his hand, and silence equaled
only by the noise of a second before, prevailed
Kit then began talk, but before going far
broke his line of argument, saying:
Il have those here who came for the relief L
give them and / will satisfy their necessities
and then finish my talk"
He then began dishing out his supplies.
Bread meat and dresses were given the
women, and bread, meat and clothing were
handed the many. Money in dollar, two dollar,
and fve-dollar bills added to the gifts of
clothing and food.
The orator then continued his talk and the
crowd then became wildly enthusiastic. He
spoke for more than hour. showing the
great evils of prohibition and the benefit of the
liquor trade" as he called it.
After the speech Kit mixed with the audience,
and shaking hands with the women, gave each
kind word The men collected around him,
and raising him from the earth, carried him to
his carriage. which standing Decatur
street. AS they moved over the ground they
gave vent to their feelings, and their expressions
were novel and interesting. why said one,
dis is Mr. Kit, and he feeds de poor"
You bet he do, an Use agwine to STAN by
him.
'.An' I'll do the same, if it takes my house an
lot" said another.
The carriage was then driven to the hotel,
and at the door Kit found another delegation
He quietly moved through the crowd and went
to his room. There he passed quiet evening,
and at o'clock came out for tea. After tea,
surrounded by crowd he moved about the
hotel corridors until nearly nine. AT that hour
he was informed that his carriage waiting
for him. The carriage was standing at the
Pryor-street entrance and was surrounded by
an immense crowd of colored people As Kit
emerged from the door the crowd went wild.
He was picked from the earth and placed in his
and Them hal III
began unhitching the horses. The little man
from his seat, crying out:
''What are you doing therel
You are too good for horses to pull yelled
some one, land we will pull you ourselves"
YES we will pull you" chorused the crowd.
mo you won't" said Kit raising his hand.
"We are law-abiding people, you and l. We
won't take any chance for trouble, and let the
driver go through
The crowd parted and the carriage moved off
Not since Atlanta has been city-not even
when President Cleveland rode the same
block, has there been such crowd on Decatur
street The carriage could hardly move for the
crowd. The yelling was deafening. One could
scarcely hear himself breathe, great the
tumult, and all because Yellowstone Kit, the
hero of the colored people, was there.
The march from the hotel to the postofice
of triumph. The small man with curly
locks looked upon the crowd, smiling and bow
ing to the dusky faces before him, AT the post
Office he was lifted from the carriage and
ried to the platform. The platform the
Forsyth street side of the building, and that
packed with negro men, all voters, who cheered
loud and long The medicine man took his
position on the stand and began talking. Most
orators want an introduction to the audience,
but Kit did not. He launched into his subject
at once, and without gloves handled it, and he
handled it in fine style He made no reference
to his removal from his old stand further than to
say that he thought it unkind He then re-
viewed to his audience a careful. concise history
of the race. and holding up picture of the devil
ON placard issued by the Prohibitionsts-in
one hand and one of Abraham Lincoln-issued
by the ants in the other-asked
Now my kind people, which will you take2
The devil. issued by the Prohs, or Abe Lincoln,
the who gave you your hberty!"
.sLincoln. God bless him." yelled the crowd,
and the enthusiasm was unbounded. Continu-
ing. the little discussed the great question
of the hour with earnestness born of conyic-
ton. All of his utterances were loudly ap-
plauded.
His speech one of those unique utterances
which have given him fame through the country,
and when he was through his audience made
rush. and picking him up, carried him to the
Kimball, leaving his carriage where it had
stopped.
1t was triumpha1 procession, indeed.